This is going to be about Holland, the western region of the Netherlands.  Below are some famous things to do and see while in Holland.  I recently read Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier and was enchanted.  The idea that this could have been the story behind one of Vermeer's most celebrated paintings got me thinking.

Girl with a pearl earring
Oil on Canvas - 19" x 16" (47 x 40 cm)

Location: Mauritshuis, The Hague, the Netherlands
Year: 1660 - 1665

Milkmaid by Vermeer

Location: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Oil on Canvas - 18" x 16" (45.5 x 41 cm)
Year: 1658 - 1660
This paining was mentioned in the novel as a portrait of the servant Tanneke.

Delft, also known as the Princes' City was home to Johannes Vermeer and even today offers a walk around his part of the city.

It is also associated with Prince William the Silent of Orange, an avid objector to the Spanish tyranny and and advocate for freedom of religion.  He lived, married, and was murdered in Delft.  You can still see his home at Het Prinsenhof.  He was known as the father of the nation and seen as ’loyal until death’

The Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) is the famous Protestant Church that has been a church since 1383.  It began as Catholic and has the second highest church tower in the Netherlands.  It is home to the largest and best-known mausoleum, that of William of Orange and the vault of the royal family.

You can take the Royal Walk and discover Delft's connection with the royal family, as well as one of the guided city walks.

 For more on Delft visit http://www.delft.nl/webEN/.